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Esti had no idea how long she had been asleep after her breakdown. She was only certain that Atticus had weathered the storm at her side. Never leaving her alone. Only ever breaking physical contact with Esti inside their enchanted, safe apartments in the Council Tower so Atticus could fetch snacks, water, anything else that Esti might want or desire. Letting her feel everything while offering endless support and love.

Esti was finally still. Her body and heart tired. Still cocooned under the blanket with Atticus. She felt empty. Not necessarily in a bad way. In a way where she had shed so many things she couldn't carry any longer. Like her body and mind had made room for all the changes that were on her horizon. The echoes of the maids still ringing in her ears. Esti wasn't ready to be a Queen. At least not one who was anything like the king Magnus was.

Esti started to draw a lazy, swirling pattern with her finger on Atticus's chest. "I want dinner, out? Could we..." Esti trailed off. She had just looked up. Had a moment where she wanted something and felt bold enough to ask for it. Only to forget the word she was looking for. Brows furrowing. She did not know how to be the person that could fill the title and responsibility she now had.

Atticus and his dragon smiled in unison. "Is my mate trying to ask me on a date?" Atticus offered to Esti. Meeting her gaze, and loving the light that had come back to her eyes. A beautiful rose blush creeping along her cheekbones. Esti had asked for something. A step in the right direction.

She nodded. "I forgot what the word the humans use was." The smile on his lips only grew wider. He kissed her forehead, her arms wrapped around his body. His enveloping her.

Esti felt Atticus barely hold in a slight chuckle. His body giving a slight shudder around and under her. Warmth and happy feelings flooding to Esti through the bond. "I would love nothing more than to have a date with you." Smiling down at her, holding her just a little tighter. "Any idea what kind of food you might like to eat?" Atticus loved how her eyes widened, how he could feel her mind start to work through. Seriously trying her best to think of what she would like to eat with him on what would be their first, real date.

Esti tried to think. Tried to remember every meal she had ever seen in a movie. Any recipe she had read that sounded good. Her mind jumped to the mac and cheese she had eaten with Theo and Joe. "Pasta. I want fancy pasta." She finally decided. Not truly understanding what she had asked for. She just knew she had really liked the cheesy noodles.

Atticus smiled, he knew this city and had several places in mind that would certainly meet the vague brief of including fancy pasta on the menu. "May I dress you? I believe I saw extra clothing options were brought in to the closets for us." Esti might have a rough idea of what a date could be. Atticus had much firmer dreams of taking Esti out on the town for the first time. She deferred to his expertise.

Atticus had spent an awful lot of time while he had been imprisoned in this same damn tower to think about all the ways he wanted to spoil Esti. How he could make their first date truly magical for her. But first, they would need to see what their options were clothing wise. Some of his favorite restaurants had rather strict dress codes. Gods didn't Atticus want to get Esti dressed in a modern little cocktail dress. Doll her up like a starlet so he could undress her and have her all to himself later.

Atticus felt a brush of his dragon. Atticus let the dragon know that of course everything would be at Esti's discretion and choice. She was going to set their pace. Atticus could still daydream, though with her real scent all around him. Her hand in his, Atticus was going to need to try and control his body's physical reactions. Or else he would need to adjust his pants every couple steps or minutes this evening.

While Atticus tried to get his overly excited mind under control. Esti was trying to remember how to get her brain to start working again. "Never mind all that, take tonight, for you. I fear things are going to continue to move quickly. But tonight, is yours. Use the time well." Opal and Ravenkor, Atticus's dragon, had been discussing current events. Things would likely get worse before they got better. Nothing would change before morning. Or, that might depend on when one declared morning arrived. Time was relative after-all

Dragons did not much care for specific semantics. Esti had seen so little of human civilization, and much of what she had seen, had been while Opal was still trying to shake of the vestiges of the bind that Meera had placed upon them. Opal wanted to see the lights of sky scrapers reaching towards the clouds for herself, and Ravenkor had never once experienced Atticus as he tried to plan a sincerely thoughtful date. Was truly touched to finally see evidence that the disappointing, arrogant little raggabout he found himself saddled to, might finally be maturing towards showing he had some sense.

The dragon's let themselves recede. Meaning it when they both told their other halves that tonight was going to be for them. Slowly, hand in hand Esti let Atticus lead her through the overwhelmingly opulent, and modern apartments they had been given. Esti's head was swiveling like an owl as they walked, trying to take in all the details. Focus anywhere but on her stalled mind.

Esti had never seen a tv as big as the one she saw as they passed by a living room. Esti saw human technologies she couldn't even name, beautiful art on the walls. Everything was clean, and modern and so unlike anything Esti had ever known at court, and certainly had not encountered while she had been on the rural, isolated island of Grand Manan.

Esti let go of everything. Slipping into the moment. Letting herself just be Esti. Only Esti. Just a girl, about to go on a real, human date, in a real human city with her mate. Her mate who loved her, and had found her across the country. There would be magic tonight, and Esti was going to follow Opal's advice. Tonight Esti would let the magic of this moment find her. All the problems facing her could wait just one more night before she had to face them.

Atticus and Esti reached the closet, Opening the double doors to a room that was all its own. Esti had never once imagined such opulence in one place could actually be real outside the spaces only royalty saw. This was more clothing than all three of Fowl's sisters had combined.

Atticus, knew the moment he saw the double doors, A subtle carving in the woodwork indicating clothing. These were afterall, temporary accommodations. Atticus had found more than a few Fae and demon catering resorts use such pictograms to help those unfamiliar with human accommodations.

This was going to be an open closet like no other he had ever had to chance to explore let alone wear and style whatever he wanted. Atticus was going to relish this moment. This was how he wanted Esti to live always. Wanted to show her the very best of what he knew life could offer. One night to get it right. To show Esti the best him he could be, show her how he had been raised, what he knew.

Esti deserved a night to see how humans lived now. Perhaps even see a wild witch or Fae in person, and see truly, for herself that they were still just other people. Atticus loved to watch as Esti took in the extreme opulence Atticus hoped was behind the door. He was so glad he had been correct. When he watched her eyes light up, go wide with wonder, her lips moving into a sincere, little smile that was only for Atticus to enjoy.

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